Seeing Clearly for the First Time
by AriannaSwanson
Summary: Starts at the end of the 7th book, ignores epilogue. The only difference is Ronald Wesley dies instead of his brother, Fred. And Hermione finds comfort in the strangest of places, in the arms of Draco Malfoy. first Fanfic so be nice. DM/HG HP/GW
1. Chapter 1 I'll Let You

**AUTHORS NOTE: This is my first fan fiction of any sort so be nice, Please. And yes the first part of the chapter is stolen from the 31st and 32nd chapters of the Deathly Hallows, but names are changed, ON with the story!**

**A/N 2: sorry this took forever, i'm not even gonna try and explain why i lost all hope for this story, and plot bunnies were having a party in the City of Bones side of my head. That's right i'm a total mundie. Anyway, i'm gonna try this all again. Just realize i'm not reliable unless i'm yelled at to finish something. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything J. K. Rowling wrote, or her characters, or parts of their personalities, but I do own my own plot and anything else I write in this story. This is the only disclaimer I will put up, it should be the only only needed.**

**Seeing Clearly for the First Time**

**Chapter 1- I'll Let You  
**

FLASKBACK:

"You actually _are _joking, Perce. . . . I don't think I've heard you joke since you were –"

The air exploded. They had been grouped together, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and Percy, the two Death Eaters at their feet, one Stunned, the other Transfigured; and in that fragment of a moment, when danger seemed temporarily at bay, the world was rent apart, Harry felt himself flying through the air, and all he could do was hold as tightly as possible to that thin stick of wood that was his one and only weapon, and shield his head in his arms: He heard the screams and yells of his companions without a hope of knowing what had happened to them –

And then the world resolved itself into pain and semi darkness: He was half buried in the wreckage of a corridor that had been subjected to a terrible attack. Cold air told him that the side of the castle had been blown away, and hot stickiness on his cheek told him that he was bleeding copiously. Then he heard a terrible cry that pulled at his insides, that expressed agony of a kind neither flame nor curse could cause, and he stood up, swaying, more frightened than he had been that day, more frightened, perhaps, than he had been in his life. . . .

And Hermione was struggling to her feet in the wreckage, and three redheaded men were grouped on the ground where the wall had blasted apart. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand as they staggered and stumbled over stone and wood.

"No – no – no!" someone was shouting. "No! Ron! No!"

And Percy was shaking his brother, and Fred was kneeling beside them, and Ron's eyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face.

The world had ended, so why had the battle not ceased, the castle fallen silent in horror, and every combatant laid down their arms? Hermione's mind was in free fall, spinning out of control, unable to grasp the impossibility, because Ronald Weasley could not be dead, the evidence of all her senses must be lying--

END FLASHBACK

Hermione just sat by the lake, her legs folded up against her chest, ignoring everything around her, the people dragging the dead bodies into the school, the people trying to comfort her, she was even ignoring Harry, her only best friend left. She had lost the most important person in her life, Ronald Weasley. He was gone, the only person Hermione had ever truly loved was gone. Sure, she had liked her other boyfriends but Ron was different, there was more between them, now he was dead. She sat there crying for what felt like hours, wishing that this day hadn't happened, that this whole year hadn't happened, and that she was lying on her bed at home, at Hogwarts, at the Burrow, or even at Grimwald Place, and that she was just having a nightmare that she was going to wake up from anytime now. But she was never going to wake up, she was stuck in her nightmare of a life, wishing that her boyfriend wasn't dead, and that she was just in a dream that would soon be over.

It took Hermione awhile before she noticed that someone was sitting silently beside her. It took even longer to notice that he was just sitting there. He wasn't trying to comfort her or get her to get up go sleep in a bed somewhere in the castle, or eat anything, like all her other friends did, he just sat there silently, whether he shared in her pain or not, she did not know. They sat there silently for what seemed for hours until the silence was broken.

"I'm sorry, for Ron, I may have hated his guts in school, for being the brave Gryffindor blood traitor he was, but once the war started and he went into hiding with you guys, continuing to fight even though it seemed like a lost cause, I respected him, I actually respected all of you, because I was too scared to fight against the Dark Lord, and no matter what happened to you, you continued to fight him with the same voracity as before." he paused in his confession, "Then when you showed up at the Manor, and Aunt Bella started torturing you,"

Hermione looked up, finally she realized who was sitting beside her, she thought he was just some other Slytherin, who needed to vent, but it wasn't some other Slytherin, it was Draco Malfoy, the boy who had taunted her and her friends for years. Anger coursed through her veins, '_He _was sorry for Ron's death, yeah right, when hell freezes over,' she thought, but then she remembered the past couple hours of him just sitting their silently, with her, and he hadn't even made one comment on her blood status. And the way he had said everything he had just confessed made her believe that he was really sorry.

Draco had stopped talking when she had looked up, and watched as a whirl of emotions was visible in her eyes. He expecting her to get up and start yelling at him about how he was lying, about how he taunted her and her friends all though their childhood, and he was even taunting them a day ago, in the Room of Requirement, . He expected her to yell at him about how he just stood there and watched her get tortured by his aunt in his own house, not too many months ago. He expected her to hex him into oblivion, payback for everything he had put her through all those years, and he knew he deserved it. But she never did, she just sat there, looking at him, with curiosity evident in her swollen brown eyes, silently asking him to continue.

"When Aunt Bella was torturing you, and you still didn't give in to her, I realized how brave all of you were, and how much you had given up. All I wanted to do was stop her, but that's what I felt like every time someone was killed or tortured right in front of my eyes. And then Harry and Ron came bursting in in a blaze of glory, taking my wand with them. I was silently thanking the gods when Harry took my wand cause it meant I wouldn't have to torture anyone until we could get one from some other wand maker."

"So y...you never w...wanted to b..be a D...death Eater?" her voice was quiet and shaky from all those hour of crying, tears were still falling down her cheeks, and her eyes full of sadness and confusion. If you had showed Draco, or anyone else at Hogwarts, a picture of what Hermione looked like right now, they would have thought you had enchanted it to make her look like that.

"No."

They sat there in a comfortable silence for the rest of the day, except for when one Hermione's friends tried to get her to go back up to the castle, totally ignoring Draco's presence. But she just ignored them and continued crying to herself, but not as badly as before. It wasn't until Draco noticed the sun setting that he realized that she had fallen asleep. He carefully picked her up and carried her off to the castle, before he was even halfway through the Entrance Hall, a tall black haired boy with bright green eyes and a lightening bolt scar on his forehead stopped him.

"Where are you taking her, Malfoy?" He questioned, distrust evident in his tone.

"To a bed somewhere so she can sleep more comfortably then she probably has in a long time, Potter"

Harry couldn't help but be taken back by his statement, but what else had he expecting him to say, 'I'm taking her to my father so he can torture her'? But they had been sitting beside each other all day, still he still couldn't help but distrust him.

"Here, let me do that." the real meaning evident, _I don't trust you and neither does anyone else here, so give her to me. _

"No it's fine, I can carry her to the south wing."

The south wing of the castle was hardly damaged during the battle because it over looked the lake, and was the farthest from the Castle doors. Beds had been set up there, was well as a temporary hospital wing, since the original one was damaged.

"Fine, but if you hurt one hair on her head, I swear on my parents graves, I will personally throw you in Askaban." Harry hissed out, barely audible to even Draco.

"And I'll let you," Draco whispered, but to quietly for the boy standing behind him to hear.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The walk up to the South wing was long, but Draco didn't mind, it gave him time to think. Think about his life, his parents, his friends, his enemies, the future, but mostly the girl in his arms. For some reason he couldn't get the image of her totally broken sitting by the lake crying for someone she was never getting back. He looked at her and decided in that moment he was going try and fix all the mistakes he had ever made in his life, and the first one was going to be ever insulting this muggleborn girl and make her life horrible. He all too soon found an empty classroom filled with beds, pulling him away from his thoughts. He carefully lowered Hermione into a bed and tucked her in. He had an inexplicable urge to kiss her forehead, seeing her innocent and broken, with dried tracks running down her face from where the tears were falling earlier, but thought better of it. He quietly left the room and walked back towards the kitchen, finally realizing that he hadn't eaten since yesterday at supper.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

**Only a couple of edits in this chapter, the next will have way more. Again sorry it took so long. **

**Lots of Love**

**Arianna S. **


	2. Chapter 2 It's Not Your Fault

**Chapter 2- It's Not Your Fault**

Hermione was unsure of when she fell asleep. All she knew was that she must have because someone was currently carrying her up to the castle. His movements were careful, like whoever it was, was trying not to wake her, but unfortunately for her, months of always being on the alert made her an extra sensitive sleeper. Whoever was carrying her didn't seem to realize that she was awake. She was thinking of letting them of the hook and walking herself up to a bed somewhere, but a certain familiar voice ripped her from her thoughts.

"Where are you taking her, Malfoy?" Harry questioned, distrust evident in his tone. So Draco was carrying her, Hermione Granger, a Muggleborn witch up through the castle. Maybe he really had changed

"To a bed somewhere so she can sleep more comfortably then she probably has in a long time, Potter"

Either Hermione's ears were deceiving her, or Draco Malfoy was actually thinking about her comfort. She couldn't help but wonder what he must have seen for him to have changed like this. A couple of years ago he would have been trying to make her more uncomfortable, and he defiantly wouldn't be carrying her through the castle.

"Here, let me do that." Harry asked in a tone that said, _I don't trust you and neither does anyone else here, so give her to me. _

"No it's fine, I can carry her to the south wing."

"Fine, but if you hurt one hair on her head, I swear on my parents graves, I will personally throw you in Askaban." Harry hissed out, barely audible.

Hermione was disgusted with way Harry was treating someone who was just trying to be nice to her, even if it was Draco Malfoy. But then she realized he didn't know the side to him that he had shown her earlier that day. If you would have asked her 2 days ago if Draco Malfoy would be carrying her 'sleeping' form halfway across the castle, she would have laughed in your face. Harry was just trying to watch out for her.

"And I'll let you," Draco whispered, to quietly for Harry to hear, but Hermione defiantly heard it. He really had changed. Maybe he wasn't just the evil Slytherin prince she had always thought he was. Instead of letting Draco of the hook, she continued pretending to sleep, hoping he would say something or do something that would show her a bit more of his true personality, but he never did.

The walk up to the South wing was long, and Hermione could physically feel herself falling back asleep. For some reason she felt oddly comfortable in the arms of someone she used to think was her mortal enemy. In his arms she felt safe and secure, like nothing could or would hurt her.

Draco stopped walking and opened a door to the right of him with a foot. He walked into the classroom and turned to the first bed he saw. Hermione half-expected him to drop her in disgust and rush to the nearest bathroom to scrub his arms for hours. But he carefully lowered her into a bed, and did something else that was totally unexpected, he, Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, tucked her, Hermione Granger, daughter of a muggle, in. He tucked her in. What must he have seen to make him change so much. Make him change from the evil, ignorant prat of a ferret that he always seemed to be while they were in school together for 6 years.

Draco stood there for a moment longer, before silently leaving the room. It didn't take long for Hermione to fall asleep, but she couldn't help but wonder why he was doing all this for her.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

It didn't take Draco long before he was back in the main part of the castle. As soon as he reached it, Draco stayed to the shadows, not wanting to be seen by Potter, or the remaining Weasleys. He really didn't want to deal with their constant badgering that was sure to come asking where Hermione was and what had he done to her. But as soon as Draco entered the corridor which the portrait to the kitchens was located, he realized he was out smarted, by Ginny Wesley.

"Weasley," he greeted her politely.

"Where did you put Hermione, Malfoy?" distrust as evident in her voice as it was in her boyfriend's.

"In a comfortable bed somewhere in the south wing, Weasley, or did you expect me throw her in a broom closet?" Draco hissed out. 'Why couldn't anyone around here believe that I would do the right thing,' Draco thought.

'Because you gave them every reason not to,' the little voice in his head answered for him.

"Oh, right, um, you wouldn't happened to remember what classroom you put her in, would you?" She asked clearly thinking about what he had just said, and not what she was saying.

"First classroom on the right in the DADA corridor." Draco answered quickly, not want this meeting to be longer than necessary.

"Right, okay, thanks, Malfoy." Draco seeing no point in continuing the conversation, started walking further down the corridor toward the painting on the end.

"Wait, Malfoy why are you doing this? I mean it seemed like you absolutely hated Hermione just an year ago. Why the change of heart?"

It took Draco awhile to answer but when he finally did the answer confused Ginny. "Maybe it's not so much of a change of heart, but that I'm seeing the clearly for the first time. The war changed a lot of the ways I saw things and people. I'm just trying to fix the mistakes I've made. I know it won't be easy but I'm still gonna try."

Draco, not wanting to continue talking to the Weasley girl, walked up to the portrait, tickled to pear, and hurried inside before she could think of anything else to ask him. Inside the kitchens there were only a couple wizards, who were polite enough to ignore his presence. A quiet little house elf walked up to him.

"Is there anything Tina could gets you sir?"

"Um, could you make me a ham sandwich?"

"Of course, sir, anything particular you would want Tina to put on it for you.?"

"No"

The little house elf appeared at his side, tugging on the sleeve of his cloak, "Would you like something to drink, sir?"

"Um, sure, a butterbeer would be great actually."

As soon as Draco was finished eating he left the kitchen quickly but not before being bombarded with sweets and cookies by the house elves, he decided to take some up to Hermione and see if she was awake yet. If not he would leave them there for her when she woke up.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Mrs. Weasley sat in the quiet classroom, watching over the girl sleeping in the bed in front of her. As soon as Ginny came into the Great Hall and told everyone the location of Hermione, Mrs. Weasley had decided to go up and stay watch over her. When Mrs. Weasley had seen Hermione crying by the lake, she realized that Hermione had lost just as much as her. She felt oddly attached to the child now, like instead of being her youngest son's girlfriend, she was like a second daughter to her. Mrs. Wesley just sat there for hours, thinking of nothing in particular, that is until a certain blonde teenager walked into the room. Molly was unsure of how to treat Draco, he had ridiculed, tormented, and insulted her family, but she had heard Ginny talk about the conversation she had with him outside the kitchens. Maybe he really has changed, he certainly doesn't look malicious, and he brought some food for Hermione by the looks of it.

"Mrs. Weasley." he nodded politely, before placing the food on a small table by the bed and sitting on a bed that was located on the other side of Hermione's.

"Mr. Malfoy." That was about the only thing they said. They sat in silence for a long time. Everyone seemed to like that a lot these days Draco noticed. Just as he was getting bored with his thoughts, and was about to attempt to make small talk with Mrs. Weasley, Potter and the rest of the remaining Weasleys burst through the door, they must not have noticed him sitting there at first.

"Molly, dear, you wouldn't happened to know-" Mr Weasley started, but stopped as soon as he noticed Draco. Everyone else seemed to notice him as well at that moment.

"Malfoy! Do you know where your parents went?" Potter yelled, anger clearly about to blow.

"I have absolutely know idea where they went Potter, I didn't even know that they left."

"Well do you know any possible locations where they might have gone. We need to find them, your father was one of Voldemort's top men at one point and he has information on all our defences at the moment." One of the older Weasleys asked, much more politely. It must be the one that works with dragons, Draco thought as the scars were visible all up his arms.

"It's not like he's going to try and attack anyone here, Weasley. He might have been a Death Eater, but he wasn't stupid. Anyways, the Ministry has all the information on my parents estates. Other than that I know no more about why there could be than you do." Harry was disappointed at Draco's words, he had hoped he would know where his parents ran off to. Everyone left, after that, except Mr. Weasley.

"Molly, dear, why don't you come down and we can get some breakfast, I'm sure Draco here can watch over Hermione."

"In a little while, Arthur." Mr. Wesley looked longingly at his wife but left without her anyways. They sat in silence for a little while longer. Draco was thinking about his parents, he knew they were going to go in to hiding somewhere, they had asked him to go with them and he told them he wouldn't. That's why he was sitting by the lake. He would never admit that all he wanted to do was hide with them, but he was tired of being a coward. He might not like being a Malfoy but he was and Malfoys were not cowards. Except his father.

"Mr Malfoy, I want to know if you were telling my daughter the truth when you said that you were going to try and fix the mistakes that you have made.

"Yes. I was. "

"Why?"

"I've always been told from day one that both anyone who wasn't a pureblood, or who was a blood-traitor were beneath me, under me. My parents kept telling me that as soon as I could understand what they meant, maybe even before that. I believed them, I mean you doesn't believe whatever their parents tell them," Draco laughed a little, nervous and weirded out that he was telling her this, "Then when I came to Hogwarts, and i still believed what they said, even when Granger beat me in every class, and Potter beat me in Defence and Quidditch. It wasn't till after 5th year when i started to question my believes, but by then it was too late. I was in way too deep to just walk away from it all, I would have been killed if I had tried, so would have my mother. The entire year I tried to get caught trying to kill Dumbledore. I had the Vanishing Cabinet fixed for almost half that year, and there were plenty of opportunities to get Death Eater's into the school while Dumbledore went where ever he went all the time. But i was hoping I'd get caught, that way i would have to actually kill him, and i would have to fight anymore. I know Potter knew it was me who gave Katie the cursed necklace, and he suspected me for the poisoned mead. I know he told McGonagall, and must likely Dumbledore himself of his suspicions. I'm sure the old man had known it was me all along, but he never said anything, or even talked to me the entire year."

Hermione had started to wake up while Draco was explaining himself to Mrs Weasley. He hadn't noticed though, he was to busy staring at a piece of wall across the room, to ashamed of himself to look Mrs Weasley in the eye, so he almost jumper in surprise when she spoke.

"He was dieing anyway." she said to quietly for anyone to hear properly, although it looked like Mrs. Weasley had understood part of it.

"What did you say, dear?" she asked carefully.

"I said he was dieing anyway. If he didn't die then, he would have died not too long after, of a way more painful death." Hermione said a little louder.

"What do you mean, dear, I know Dumbledore was a very old man but he wasn't even close to a natural death yet." Mrs Weasley asked now totally confused.

"Yeah, Granger, she's right, If it wasn't for me he would probably still be alive." Malfoy said sadly.

"No, Malfoy. Mrs. Weasley may be right, he was close to a natural death. But that doesn't mean he wouldn't have died anyway. Didn't you notice his arm it was all burnt and dead looking, how as the year went on it kept getting worse and worse?"

"He was cursed." He realized.

"Yes and if Professor Snape hadn't been able to contain the curse to just that one arm, he would have died before you had even gotten on the train 6th year. He planned it all out with Professor Snape, they planned for Snape to kill him that night. When he begged Snape, he wasn't begging that his life be spared, he was begging for Snape to kill him, keep him from a painful death and at the same time ensure that you were innocent and Harry was one step closer to being able to defeat Voldemort."

"It wasn't my fault?" His voice showing the insecurity that had been hiding underneath the mask he had put up for years, showing Hermione for the second time in 24 hours, that there was a normal guy under the Slytherin, someone who had been frightened just like everyone else.

"No, nothing that had happened was your fault."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

**A/N- Again sorry to all my amazing readers who have ever read this. I hate it when someone starts a story and never finishes to. Next time i seem to forget about this. Please email me at crazymonkeyq at hotmail and add the C.O.M or PM me or review. **

**PLEASE PRESS THAT LITTLE BUTTON DOWN THERE AND REVIEW. You know you want to, tips on writing is also appreciated! :)**

**hoping for reviews**

**Arianna S. **


	3. Chapter 3 Falling for You

_**Chapter 3- Falling for You **_

The next three weeks, everyone was still at Hogwarts, although you could only see some remaining evidence of the Final Battle. The Quidditch Pitch still wasn't rebuilt. But most of the grounds now had some grass growing back in the spots where it had previously scorched away by the various curses that had luckily missed their targets and hit the ground instead. There was no damage left at all in the Great Hall, The Entrance Hall and the Grand Staircase were equally fixed. The respective dormitories were almost done in their repairs. The Gryffindor Tower was the worst damaged part of the castle, so it was the farthest behind in repairs.

Mostly everyone in the school was still there working on the repairs, excluding most of the 4th years and under, and most of the Slytherins. Only two Slytherins had decided to stay behind and help repair the school, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zambini. Blaise had somehow been able to remain neutral for the entire war, up until the end. While all the other Slytherins were exiting through the Room of Requirement he hid behind the a suit of armour til the coast was clear, went back into the Great Hall, and fought against his classmate's parents. He helped take down both Crabbe and Goyle Sr. Draco had stayed behind cause he had nowhere else to go, with his parents in hiding and his Godfather dead. The two Slytherins were not trusted by many, most believing them to be gathering information so that the remaining Death Eaters could launch an attack. The only people who did trust them a little were Hermione and Mrs Weasley. Harry wasn't sure of what he felt about Draco and Blaise, he wanted to be able to trust them, but to many years of bad blood behind them was making it difficult, it was the same with Ginny, and the three oldest Weasley boys.

Everyone thought that Professor McGonagall would become Headmistress, being that she had been Deputy Headmistress before Dumbledore had died. However, she refused the position saying that she had had way to much stress in her life time and being the Transfiguration Professor til the day she died was good enough for her unless they couldn't find anyone else before next September, so the post remained open for the moment. Both Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley were nominated for Minister of Magic, but Shacklebolt won, being that he was an ex-auror and that everyone would feel safer with him as Minister than a man with a electric plug collection.

The death of Ronald had hit the Weasley family hard, but not as hard it had hit Hermione, she unconsciously avoided any of the Weasleys, or anyone else with red hair for that matter. She find herself drifting toward his favourite places, which only ever made things worse. She didn't eat if Harry didn't force her to, eating reminded her of Ron's eating habits. If she saw a spider clinging to a wall she'd instantly breakdown. She hadn't slept well since the night Draco had taken her into the school, the nightmares were too much. Every time she saw Draco she felt a little better, but she felt guilty that she felt so at ease with someone Ron had considered his arch-enemy, someone who he had always said was unforgivable, so she avoided him too. She was slipping deeper into deeper into depression and all of her friends were worried. Hell, even Blaise was worried about the know-it-all. She had gone from slightly anorexic looking, to 'the-slightest-breeze-will-knock-you-over' skinny.

Draco was just as worried about her as everyone else, but he had started avoiding her too, not too sure of where he stood with the witch, or why he was thinking about her so much. He had just turned the corner in the Forth Floor when he saw her just bawling at something at the wall, upon closer inspection he discovered it was a spider, he didn't need an explanation as to why a spider caused her to cry. It was Weasel's greatest fear, he remembered that one from Third year DADA, with the Bogart. The first thing he thought about wasn't about how he hated crying girls, no, his first thought that she was hurt. When it became evident that she wasn't being put in pain, and she was crying being she was sad, he didn't think to go running to the nearest girl to get them to get care of it, like he had done to Pansy Parkinson so many times. No, instead he sat down next her and she instantly leaned on him and cried into his shoulder while he put his arm around her closer, running his fingers through soft curls and muttered soothing words to her. Eventually her sobs quieted and her breaths became even. And it was only once she was asleep did he allow himself to think of why he had just comforted the broken girl. Sure, she looked a lot better than she used to, her hair softening into soft beautiful curls. Her front teeth matching the rest of her mouth, and her face with its delicate features, but she was still bookworm Know-It-All Granger. But she was intelligent, and stubborn and passionate.

"Shit Granger, I think I'm falling for you."

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Harry looked across the grounds of the only place he had ever truly considered home, thinking about the events from only a month ago. All in the space of a couple days Harry had returned to Hogwarts with his best friends in tow, finished of all of the Horcruxes, fought the in the final battle, had his best killed, found all of the Hallows, died (again), defeated Voldemort, got his girlfriend back and watch his enemy start to show feelings for his only remaining best friend, while said girl kept slipping farther and farther into a deep depression.

At first Malfoy didn't' notice how far he had fallen for her. It didn't shock Harry to think that either of them might have feelings about each other. Before the whole Voldemort fiasco had taken them all away from Hogwarts, half the castle had been betting that they really liked each other, which was why they fought so much. Harry had thought so too, he had even made a bet with Dean Thomas after third year about who would admit their feelings for the other first. Harry thought that Hermione would first being that once she figures something out she instantly put a plan into action, however Dean said Malfoy because Hermione was hopeless when it came to guys and that she wouldn't notice a real crush if it kissed her. No one dared to tell Ron about it all, they were too scared of his explosive temper at the suggestion that 'his girl' may have liked his mortal enemy and he may have liked her back.

When Harry saw Malfoy trying to calm Hermione's onslaught of tears in the hallway, he couldn't deny it any longer, Draco Malfoy had feelings, let alone feelings for Hermione. It was evident in the concerned expression on his face, the way he gently ran his fingers through her hair, trying to calm her with words only the two of them could hear. Through all the years Harry had known Malfoy, he had rarely seen him showing any emotion. The only emotions he had ever shown were anger, hatred, frustration, arrogance, and fear. No care, no love. Harry was shocked to see the mask that Malfoy had worn since the first moment he had met him, completely gone.

Harry had hid in the shadows, knowing that his former enemy wouldn't want him to be seen with his defences so low. He carefully pulled out the camera he had bought back in fourth year and snapped a shot of them before he could think better of it, it could come in handy, and they did look quite cute together. Harry watched from his hidden place as Hermione eventually stop crying and fell asleep, looking more calm and more relaxed then she had since before Bill's wedding. Harry knew when Malfoy realized she was asleep, his face had changed from comforting and concerned to confused. Harry briefly wished he knew what was running through Malfoy's head. Realization flashed across Malfoy's face as Harry got his wish, Malfoy said the words so softly that he still wasn't sure if he had heard them right.

"Shit, Granger I think I'm falling for you."

'Crap, Dean won that bet. .'

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Hermione woke some hours later, feeling great after sleeping without having a nightmare. She had been having nightmares of all sorts since the trip to Godric's Hollow with Harry, which only doubled since her visit to the Malfoy Manor. Add what had happened during to the Final Battle to the mess, and it was no wonder Hermione hadn't been able to sleep lately. Hermione wondered at what had caused her to sleep so well, when her memory final clued-in. 'Forth Floor...Spider...Ron...Draco'. She instantly started to feel disgusted with herself. 'I cried myself to sleep, thinking about my recently deceased ex-boyfriend, Ronald Weasley, while in the arms of his arch-enemy, Draco Malfoy. After a while of just sitting on her bed, head in her hands, she realized something, she wasn't disgusted that she had fallen asleep in Draco's arms, she was disgusted that she was thinking of Ron while in Draco's arms.

"Oh Fuck, I'm falling for the ferret."

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

"GINNY, DEAN, GET DOWN HERE! I've got something your gonna want to see!" Harry yelled as he entered the newly repaired Gryffindor Common Room, the part of the tower that was left to be fixed was the 6th and 7th years dorm rooms, which the students wanted to repair, design and decorate the rooms themselves, which is what the majority of the Gryffindors were doing.

"Harry, what has gotten you so excited?" Ginny asked as she came down from the girls dorms.

"Yah, Harry mate, you look like you just got a new broom."

"See for yourselves." Harry said as he gave them the newly developed picture as he sat on the sofa.

"Harry, this is a great photo, when did yo... OH MY GAWD! That isn't who I think it is in the photo, is it?" Ginny said with a somewhat wicked smile on her face, sitting down on Harry's lap.

"Yes it's Mia, and Malfoy." Dean answered. "Did either of them admit it out loud?"

"Yah, Malfoy, but only after she had fallen asleep." Harry sighed, pulling out 20 Galleons out of his pocket.

"Pleasure doing business with you Harry." Dean declared, pocketing the coins

"Will someone please fill me in on what just happened?" Ginny asked hands on her hips.

"Me and Dean have had a running bet about which of them would admit their feelings for the others first. Dean just won, Malfoy said, and i quote 'Shit, Granger I think I'm falling for you.'"

"Do you think they are ever gonna get together?" Ginny asked

"If they can ever push past all the bad blood, peer pressure and prejudiced, then yeah, they probably will." Harry answered "Hermione deserves to be happy, she needs someone in her life who will do that for her. I just wish it was anyone but Malfoy. I mean, whenever she breaks down, she never lets anyone near her without freaking out, she hasn't since Malfoy Manor when Bellatrix tortured her. Yet, when she's broken down lately, she lets Malfoy comfort her, not me, not you, or your Mum, your siblings, no one but him, and he was at Malfoy Manor."

"If it's what helps Mia, then we should be happy for her and give both her AND Malfoy support." Dean said with a resolved look on his face, he wanted Hermione out of this depression as much as anyone else.

"Dean why are you always the first one to make the right decision?" Ginny questioned in a teasing voice.

"Because, Red, unlike the main populous of this particular room, I think before I move into action, but that's why I'm just almost-Hermione-smart, instead of a WWWH."

"What?"

"You didn't see the article from Witch weekly, did you? They're now calling you the 'World Wide War Hero', or WWWH for short."

"Shut it." Harry muttered, cheeks tinting pink, he still wasn't used to being as revered as a war hero.

"Harry, did I ever tell you how cute you look when you're embarrassed." Ginny said closing the small distance between her and Harry.

"Well, I can tell when I've become the third wheel." Dean said leaving the room as quickly as he could.

Both of them laughed as their friend left the room rather quickly, moving closer to her boyfriend, Ginny whispered, "Now where were we?"

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

**A/N- so that's where i'm cutting you off, sorry, i'm okay with Harry/Ginny pairings, but sometimes i'm just weirded out that Harry looks like his Dad and is dating a redhead like his Mum was. I almost feel like he's trying to recreate the family that was taken away from him. Pairings that I do like are Ginny/Blaise, or Glaze, as i have christened them, and Harry/Luna pairings. Don't ask me why, that's just the way I work. Fortunately for all you Harry/Ginny fans, they are probably gonna stay together for this story. **

**AGAIN I AM SO SORRY FOR BEING SUCH A CRAPPY FOCUSER! I just get so frigging distracted. I seriously am looking for someone who will message me once a week to remind to frigging write one story at a time. On the other hand I am now starting (or restarting i guess) my own fantasy story. That's right, Totally original. I had finished up to chapter 3 (40 pages in the book size pages!) for an English class a while back, but decided i didn't like the way i wrote it, so i'm starting again. Only using the first draft for the plot. **

**REVIEW PLEASEEEE, if you don't, i'm liable to forget the story again. **

**Arianna S.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When Hermione woke next it was early morning. She felt different today. Most days since the Incident as she called it, she'd wake up feeling horrible from the nightmares feeling utterly hopeless that her little band of friends could actually win the war. After the Final Battle, hopelessness turned to sadness at the loss of her boyfriend and long time best friend. Today, however, she just felt apprehensive of what lay ahead for the survivors of the war as they try to rebuild a world that was destroyed in less than 2 years. They would have to re-create governments, find the rest of the Death Eaters, make a new wizard prison, rebuild towns, homes and families. When Hermione's stomach grumbled, she didn't think of Ron's appetite, but just that she was hungry and breakfast would be served in ten minutes. She had already decided last night that she had already mourned Ron's death long enough, and she needed to move on and help rebuild her broken society. She had spent almost a whole month doing basically nothing but think of Ron and cry. Sure, his death still hurt, and it'd be a long time till she would be totally happy again, but it was time she tried to move on.

When she got up she realized their was a owl sitting on the windowsill of the classroom she was still sleeping in as she hadn't even bothered to start her room in the Gryffindor Commons. She quickly walked over to the window and let the bird in. The little owl just hopped closer to Hermione, and held out it's leg. Hermione untied the letter and the owl flew off. Looking at the letter she saw it was from the Australian Ministry. Opening it she read the letter;

_Dear Miss Granger._

_We have found your parents and they were very safe with the wards you put around their home. We find that your spell work was very advanced, we would love to know where you learned such spells and how you mastered them. _

_But on to more pressing matters, it appears that the memory modifier you put on them is too strong for us to take off without damaging their minds. They are currently living a perfectly happy life here in Australia as Mr and Mrs Regnarg. They even opened a dentist's office last month. I feel it would be best if you left them here, until we can find a way to give them back their memories. _

_Yours sincerely_

_Mr Jones_

Sighing, Hermione got dressed and pocketed the letter. She knew that this was a very big possibility when she put that spell on them, but she figured it would be better for her parents to be safe than for them to remember her. She walked down to the Great Hall, she thought of what she was going to do now that was the war was over. The ministry (only Kingsley, and some people he trusts until they can find a way to make sure Ministry workers aren't slipping information to the remaining Death Eaters) had decided that because of the Carrows and the corrupt ministry, that no-one really had a proper education that year, so everyone was returning to do the year over, and the new and old first years would be spilt into First Years A (the old ones) and First Years B (the new ones), eventually the classes might merge as the students would focus their classes to certain occupations, but they would continue like that till at least their 3rd year. Hermione had thought she would have wanted to become a Healer, but after healing injures for the past year, she found that it wasn't her passion. During the war, she had thought of becoming an Auror, but found that she really didn't like fighting.

She arrived down at the Great Hall just as breakfast appeared on the table. Other than staff, students, and some Aurors, the only others who had decided to stay at Hogwarts for the time being were the Weasleys, Mr. Lovegood and the Patil twin's parents, so it wasn't surprising that the Great Hall didn't have very many people in it at 6:30 in the morning. In fact, the only 2 people in the hall at that exact moment were the only two Slytherins in the entire school. Deciding she didn't want to sit alone, Hermione walked over and sat herself down beside Zambini, who was across from Malfoy, and started scooping herself a bowl of oatmeal.

"Um, Granger, I understand you've been kind of out of it this past little while, but I hope you realize where you are sitting." Zambini said, clearly thinking she didn't know where she was sitting.

"I didn't want to eat breakfast all by myself at the Gryffindor table when there are two of my fellow students right here."

"But we're _Slytherins_, we seem to be worse than the plague at the moment." Zambini pointed out. Malfoy nodded in agreement.

"Why is that?" Hermione asked

"Why do you think, Granger? My parents and I were Death Eaters, I even have the mark to prove it." Malfoy said, annoyed at the situation, and took it out on Hermione.

"Malfoy, I'm sorry they are treating you like nothing but an annoyance, but did you ever give them a reason not to?" Hermione said, looking a little hurt, but mostly angry. She turned to Zambini, trying to keep from exploding in Malfoy's face. "Zambini, I'm sorry you are getting treated poorly, you never were truly rude to anyone, so I know you don't deserve this treatment. I'll see what I can do to get the others off your back." She said, getting up to move somewhere else.

"Granger, look, I'm sorry, okay? I'm just frustrated at everything, and the fact that no-one trusts me, and they are only letting me stay here because of Dumbledore's portrait and Kingsley wants an eye kept on me." Malfoy apologized.

"Fine but next time you are frustrated, go take it out on the people you are mad at." Hermione said, sitting back down.

"So Granger, not that it's any of my business, but what brought you back down to earth?" Zambini asked after a long pause, eating his banana chocolate-chip muffin **(A/N- I couldn't help it they are my favourite)**

"I decided it was time to move on, I mean, there is only 6 weeks of summer left, and there is so much left to do. The Hospital Wing is still a mess, The Gryffindor dorms have about a week to go, Hufflepuff still need an entrance, The Quidditch Pitch is unusable, and half the Library is still buried under debris. Not to mention that once the Hospital Wing is finished it will need restocked. I can't be sad forever."

"You forgot the Divination Tower." Zambini pointed out.

"No, I did not forget it. Divination is what started this entire war, because some stupid idiot was scared of losing his power, so he believed the prophetic ramblings of a coot, who at the time was interviewing for the job of Divination's Professor, where one of the idiot's followers heard her ramblings, and so the cowardly idiot tried to stop them from coming true by trying to kill a baby, and in doing so did the exact opposite of what he intended. And so, I will fight tooth and nail to make sure that Divination is never ever a subject here again, and that tower can remain as a reminder of why."

"Wait, are you talking about the Dark Lord and Professor Trelawney?" Malfoy asked.

"Stop calling him that, he doesn't deserve the title of 'Lord' as he is Lord of nothing but his own little spot in hell. And yes that is exactly what I am talking about."

"I can't call him anything but the Dark Lord."

"What?"

"Draco, mate, I'm just going to go join the Weasley's, they are fixing the pitch today, and the older brother, Charlie, asked me to help." Blaise said, making his escape. The tension in there would have had even Luna Lovegood running.

"What did you mean when you said you couldn't call him anything but the Dark Lord?"

"I meant exactly what I said, Granger."

"That's not what I meant-"

"Well it's what you asked. But I'll tell you anyway. The Dark Lord puts multiple spells on the Dark Mark during the initiation, one of them is to insure we can't call him both what Potter favours to call him, and what everyone else calls him," Draco said, with only a hint of a sneer.

"What about Tom Riddle, can't you call him that?" Hermione asked, softening a bit at the pain in Draco's voice when mentioning the initiation.

"Um I never actually tried. I didn't even know that was his name until Potter called him that. I don't think any of the Death Eaters did." Draco said, honestly.

"Well try."

"Tom Riddle... Nothing happened. No pain, no curses." Draco exclaimed, smiling. Hermione realized it was the first time she had ever seen him really smile.

"See, now you can stop calling him by that ridiculous title." It was at that exact moment that a blur of red hair collided with Hermione almost knocking the wind out of her with a hug. "Good Morning to you too Gin, now could you let me breathe?"

"Oh sorry, Mi, I'm just so happy to see you back," Ginny said sitting down in Blaise's now vacant spot, "Good morning Malfoy."

"Ginny, I been here for three weeks."

"No, Hermione, you haven't, and you know it. But now that your back, I would love to have your help with the Library, I need someone who knows the library front and back."

"Sure, I should also be getting a list of healing potions that need to be brewed from Madame Pomfrey."

"She's still at St Mungo's, the hospital is swamped with people, she's probably not going to be back for weeks. Malfoy, do you think you could help with the library too? I know you weren't as bad of a bookworm as Hermione, but you did get second in every class, so you must have been in the library a lot..." Ginny said kind of awkwardly.

"Um... Sure, i guess." Draco answered, unsure of how to respond to the red head, who, after she questioned him by the kitchens, had ignored his presence.

"Malfoy, look, I'm sorry for how I've been treating you this past week, you told me you wanted to change, but i didn't take you seriously, and now i guess I should have. If Mia trusts you and forgives you enough to move past old rivalries and to sit with you, well, that's good enough for me."

Draco eyed Ginny suspiciously, wondering what brought about this sudden change. "If we are, as you said, 'moving past old rivalries', I would like it if you both could call me Draco, not Malfoy."

Ginny, deciding to take it all in stride, reaching her arm across the table to shake hands with Draco, said, "Well Draco it's nice to meet you, I'm Ginny, but everyone calls me Red so i guess you can too, and this here is my friend, Hermione, but you can call her Mia. Right Mi?"

"Sure." Hermione answered, slightly red from embarrassment at her friends antics.

Draco, deciding to play along answered in a very not Draco-ish voice "Well Red, it's nice to meet you too, and you too... Mia" Hermione went even redder at hearing Draco call her Mia in that ridiculous voice.

And this was how when Harry Potter walked into the Great Hall Ginerva Weasley and Draco Malfoy were laughing hysterically and Hermione looked very embarrassed with a slight smile on her face.

XOXOXOXOXOX


End file.
